


The Price of Freedom

by buckbarnesjames



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-29 09:21:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21137678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckbarnesjames/pseuds/buckbarnesjames
Summary: Becoming an outlaw was never something you'd planned but one fateful night seals the deal. On the run from the law, you meet Arthur Morgan and learn what it'll really cost to be free again.





	1. Prologue

_ **Now** _

The heavy galloping of her horses hooves and her heavy breathing are the only sounds she can hear as the wind whips through her hair. Her night gown is soaked in blood and she looks back with terror in her eyes as she disappears into the darkness of the night.

_ **Then** _

After enduring five years of abuse at the hands of her husband, she could take no more. Whilst he was attempting to strangle the life out of her in yet another drunken rage, she had looked around the bedroom desperate for one of their staff to walk in. Instead, her eyes had fallen upon the silver revolver her husband had been flaunting to their dinner guests. She had struggled momentarily before being able to grab it and place the barrel against his head in warning. He had responded to her silent threat by laughing and tighten his grip around her throat. “You wouldn’t dare do it. You’re too weak” he had taunted her. “Do it” he’d growled, daring her. She’d closed her eyes and taken a deep breath in, preparing herself. “I told you, you wouldn’t...” he never finishes his sentece. The gun had gone off, his blood splattering across her face and clothes. The gunshot rung in her ears as she opened her eyes and took in the sight before her. She’d gasped and fallen against the nearby wall. She’d done it. She’d really done it.

“Ma’am! Is everything okay in there?” a voice had sounded outside the bedroom door moments later. It was followed by panicked banging on the door when she didn’t respond immediately.

“Yes! Mr Thomas just got a bit excited with his new gun and drunkenly fired it. Just get back to work!” she’d shouted back, hoping she was convincing.

“Are you sure, ma’am?” the voice had asked.

“Yes! I’m goddamn sure!” She shouted back sternly. The sound of footsteps receeding had finally sounded and she’d taken a deep breath, steadying herself against the wall once again as she tried to think of what she was to do now. After composing herself, she’d packed a change of clothes and the silver revolver before sneaking out of the balcony doors and down the staircase that led to the vast gardens of Thomas Manor. She’d run towards the stables, mounted her favourite horse, and ridden straight out of Saint Denis as fast as possible.

_ **Now** _

She’s galloping through the dark swamp of Bluewater Marsh now, thinking of her next steps. She has very little money and she’ll be an outlaw once they discover her husbands’ body. She rides for a while with no real sense of direction before remembering her late fathers’ hunting cabin near Strawberry. Realising that nobody that she knows is aware of it’s existence, she decides to head there.


	2. The simple, quite life.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The simple, quite life doesn’t last long for you.

_ **Then** _

A few days later, she’d arrived at her fathers’ cabin. The journey had taken some time as she’d decided it would be wise not to travel during the day so as to avoid pinkerton patrols and any bounty hunters who might already be out for her.

She began living off the land as best she could. She’d hunt in the nearby fields and pick herbs and berries, once a week she’d make the trip to fish in the dakota river and occasionally, she’d take a trip into Strawberry to sell to the butcher and buy other supplies. She tried her best not to visit town too often, news of Mrs ‘Black Widow’ Thomas was spreading fast and it wouldn’t be too long before it reached Strawberry.

_ **A few weeks later** _

The search for her has finally slowed down and she’d been lucky to only run in to a few lone bounty hunters who she’d easily disposed of.

One evening, she’s cooking stew from a deer she’d hunted that morning when the cabin door bursts open and a man stands in the door way, covered in blood. She dives for the table in the middle of the cabin and grabs her revolver, pointing at the man. “Who are you and what do you want?” she says, aiming the revolver straight at his head. The man opens his mouth to speak when he suddenly slumps against the doorway before sliding down to the floor and passing out. She cautiously places the revolver back on the table and makes her way over to him. Standing in front of him, she notices that the blood is his own. “Well, shit...” she says, before moving the man out of the doorway so that she can can shut and lock the cabin door. After a little struggle, she is able to move the man to the bed.

She unbuttons the man’s shirt and is greeted by his bloody chest. She inspects him and notices two bullet wounds, one under his left pec and one on his right shoulder. She rolls the man over to check for exit wounds and, seeing that there is none, sets to work finding what she needs to patch the stranger up.

An hour or so later, she’s removed both bullets and stitched him up. As she cleans away the now dried blood from his chest, she admires just how attractive the man is. “You’re gonna be trouble, aren’t ya?” she says as she washes away the blood from his shoulder. She knows she should really be stowing him on the back of her horse and dumping him in the nearby forest but she can’t bring herself to do that. She’s hurt enough people the last couple of weeks and another bloody death on her hands isn’t what she needs nor wants.

The man wakes late the next day, obviously confused. “Where am I?” his gruff voice sounds out and he groans in pain as he pushes away the blankets she’d placed on him and tries to sit up.

“I wouldn’t do that if I was you” she says, appearing in his line of sight. “Provided the wounds don’t get infected, you’ll be fine to sit up in a few days but I’d really advise resting right now” she continues, gently pushing him to lie back down.

“Who are you?” he asks defensively but does as he’s told and lies back down.

“Y/F/N Thomas. And you are?” she replies as she places the blankets back on him.

“My name is Arthur. Arthur Morgan” he says before taking a deep breath and succumbing to sleep again.


End file.
